Astronaut, author, and narrator Chris Hadfield KNOWS. He knows about the terrifying darkness of his childhood room and the deepest darkness of outer space. This intimate knowledge radiates from his narration. Listeners sense the fear in young Chris as he and his parents do battle at bedtime over the necessity for him to stay in his room, which is “very, very dark.” Rest is needed by all so they’ll be able to view a special event the following night on the neighbors’ TV. This event inspires Chris’s dream of being an astronaut and his life’s work in the “darkest dark” of space. Would that his wonder at the majesty of the dark and the power of dreams inspires us all. An afterword from Col. Hadfield concludes the production. A.R. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

★ 07/04/2016
Canadian astronaut Hadfield and collaborator Fillion tell the story of young Chris, who loves space but can’t bear his own room once the lights are out. It’s 1969, and Chris’s parents tell him that if he can’t stay in his own bed, he won’t be able to go watch the moon landing on the neighbor’s TV the following evening. The moon landing is mind-boggling in itself, but something even more important catches Chris’s attention: “He’d never really noticed how dark it was there. Outer space was the darkest dark ever.” This new dark holds infinite promise, and it makes the ordinary dark of his bedroom less daunting. The Fan brothers (The Night Gardener) switch easily between fantasy elements (furry aliens with glowing eyes lurk in Chris’s bedroom) and documentary images (the snowy pictures of the moon landing on the neighbors’ TV screen). The idea that a famous astronaut was once afraid of the dark may win some recalcitrant bed-goers’ hearts, and readers with dreams of space travel will jump at this. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Rick Broadhead, Rick Broadhead & Associates. Illustrators’ agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Sept.)

Praise for The Darkest Dark:
* "The Fan brothers (The Night Gardener) switch easily between fantasy elements and documentary images...The idea that a famous astronaut was once afraid of the dark may win some recalcitrant bed-goers' hearts, and readers with dreams of space travel will jump at this."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

10/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—Canadian astronaut Hadfield presents an uplifting tale about a boy whose deep-rooted fears are eclipsed by the potency and possibility of his dreams for the future. It's July 1969, and Chris spends his days piloting his cardboard-box rocket, battling extraterrestrials, and voyaging to distant planets. But at night, fear of the dark has him seeing terrifying shadow aliens everywhere and seeking safety in his parents' bed. Everything changes when he watches the Apollo 11 moon landing on television and catches an awestruck glimpse of outer space, "the darkest dark ever." Later, unsettling shadows still occupy his unlit room, but Chris is different: with eyes newly opened to "the power and mystery and velvety black beauty of the dark," he can't wait to explore the night sky—a dream that will always keep him company (and ultimately come true). Rendered in graphite and digitally colored in dusky hues, the luminous illustrations provide realistic portrayals of the action along with emotionally evocative depictions of the fantastical elements, from the just-menacing-enough coal black silhouettes of nighttime creatures to a wonder-filled dreamscape showing the pajama-clad space-helmeted boy (and his loyal pug companion) floating above his bed surrounded by stars and planets, rocket ships, and animals. Back matter includes a biography, a reassuring message from the author, and photos. VERDICT A splendid story for soothing night fears, fostering future explorers, and teaching children that not even the sky's the limit when it comes to dreaming big.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal

Astronaut, author, and narrator Chris Hadfield KNOWS. He knows about the terrifying darkness of his childhood room and the deepest darkness of outer space. This intimate knowledge radiates from his narration. Listeners sense the fear in young Chris as he and his parents do battle at bedtime over the necessity for him to stay in his room, which is “very, very dark.” Rest is needed by all so they’ll be able to view a special event the following night on the neighbors’ TV. This event inspires Chris’s dream of being an astronaut and his life’s work in the “darkest dark” of space. Would that his wonder at the majesty of the dark and the power of dreams inspires us all. An afterword from Col. Hadfield concludes the production. A.R. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

2016-07-20
Young Chris is afraid of the dark until he sees the Eagle land on the moon and is moved by the beauty of space.By day, little Chris flies his cardboard rocket on important missions, fighting imaginary ETs and heading to Mars. But by night, the blond, white boy is struggling to sleep on his own, repeatedly waking his parents. Then on July 20, 1969, he witnesses Neil Armstrong’s historic moon walk and realizes that while nothing in his dark room has changed, he has changed. Chris now wants “to explore every corner of the night sky.” Text and illustrations crescendo as the boy—whose bed is floating among fantastical imaginings in space—realizes that in the dark he is never alone, because he has dreams of possibility. The graphite illustrations, digitally colored in a cool palette, glow with a soft, luxurious sense of light. Full of rich texture and value, with captivating compositions and hidden hints, the artwork is stunning; however, the generic stylization of the main character’s face is disappointing given the amount of photographic referencing and meticulous detailing surrounding it. The book includes moving backmatter on astronaut and co-author Hadfield’s life, including photographs and illustrated mementos, and an inspiring message from Hadfield about the wonders of the night sky. An uplifting, valuable addition to the “scared of the dark” bookshelf and a must for the budding space explorer (or really, any dreamer). (Picture book. 4-8)